German Patent Application No. 196 23 989 describes a spark plug having a tubular metal housing, in which an insulator, with a rod-shaped internal conductor arrangement mounted in it, is embedded. The internal conductor arrangement described herein includes a terminal stud, a current-limiting resistor, a coated contact pin, and a nail-shaped central platinum electrode. The erosion resistor includes a conductive material, which is usually introduced into the insulator as a cast compound. Furthermore, at least two, preferably four, ground electrodes, bent toward the central electrode, are attached to the housing.
The spark plug according to the present invention has the advantage that, by changing the erosion resistor so that electrically conductive windings form the erosion resistor on an insulating ceramic support, cylinder capacitance is reduced. With a reduced cylinder capacitance the danger of pitting in the insulator is diminished, since energy conversion at the time of spark breakthrough is reduced due to the diminished spark plug.